The Eye of the Storm Quiz / Test | Disasters

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Hurricane Hazel was responsible for approximately 1,000 deaths in Haiti before it made landfall near Wilmington, NC in 1954. The deadly storm then made unprecedented history when it did which of the following?

Answer: Caused eighty-one deaths in Toronto

This was a particularly unusual event because hurricanes typically lose strength very quickly over land. Hazel made landfall as a Category Four storm, then tore through central areas of North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and western New York before stalling over Toronto as a Category One. High winds and disastrous flooding ravaged a city that was unaccustomed to this type of devastating weather, and both the city's landscape and the memories of its citizens were changed forever.

2. The vast majority of landfalling hurricanes occur during the months of August and September, but in 1998, a late October storm struck Central America, causing thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage. What was the name of this devastating system?

Answer: Mitch

Catastrophic flooding and mudslides, particularly in Honduras and Nicaragua, left the area without communication, fresh water and essential supplies. Contaminated water was responsible for widespread illness after the storm's passage, and many areas faced cleanup and rebuilding efforts that would take years to complete.

The name "Mitch" was retired by the World Meteorological Organization and will never be used again.

3. In 2003, the eastern eyewall of Hurricane Fabian passed over land on September 5. Although not technically a landfalling system, the powerful Category 3 storm caused significant damage to what island?

Answer: Bermuda

Despite the fact that the entire eye failed to move onshore, Fabian was responsible for four deaths, widespread power outages, and heavy damage to buildings and vegetation. Thankfully, strong preparation by citizens who are accustomed to tropical weather prevented a much worse outcome.

Fabian also caused dangerous surf along the US coastline and three lives were lost when a ship sank in high waves off the Newfoundland coast.

4. The tropical season of 2005 will be long remembered as history's worst to date, and Katrina's devastation brought worldwide attention to the Gulf Coast. Less than a month later, which system made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border as a Category 3 storm?

Answer: Rita

With the catastrophic Katrina fresh in the minds of millions, widespread evacuations were ordered for the cities of Houston and New Orleans, resulting in massive traffic jams and gridlocked highways.

A large number of the 120 reported deaths were caused by incidents resulting from the mass exodus of the metropolitan areas of Texas that lay in Rita's path.

5. The year was 1996, and for the first time in over four decades, mainland North Carolina experienced two landfalling hurricanes during the same season. What were the names of these systems?

Answer: Bertha and Fran

Making a rare July appearance, Bertha came ashore near Topsail Island on July 12. The Category 2 storm caused severe wind damage, flooding and crop destruction. Power outages for up to three weeks were reported in some areas.

Less than two months later, Fran, a large Category 3 system, made landfall in a spot very close to Bertha's entry point. Sustained winds in excess of 115 MPH and heavy rain demolished structures that were still awaiting repair from Bertha, and Fran was responsible for twenty-seven deaths from the Bahamas to Virginia.

6. Thankfully, Category 5 storms rarely come onshore at full intensity. In 1969, Camille devastated the Gulf Coasts of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. In what year was the next US Category 5 landfall?

Answer: 1992

The devastation caused in the Miami/Homestead area of Florida by Hurricane Andrew was the costliest of the twentieth century. Dozens of deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage were attributed to the storm, and until Katrina in 2005, it was considered by most experts to be the worst natural disaster in US history.

7. Hurricane Gloria (1985) struck a region that rarely experiences direct landfalls. In what city did the Category 2 system come ashore?

Answer: New York City

Although storm remnants affect New York rather frequently, most hurricanes lose intensity prior to arrival. Gloria caused flooding and wind damage in Long Island before making another landfall in Connecticut.

The large size of the storm and landfall in heavily populated areas were factors in the decision to retire the name "Gloria", which was replaced in the six year list rotation with "Grace".

8. Which September, 1988 storm brought widespread disaster to Mexico and Central America before spawning dozens of deadly tornadoes in southern Texas?

Answer: Gilbert

Gilbert began as a tropical wave on September 3 and tore through a number of Caribbean islands before making landfall in southeastern Mexico with Category 5 winds on September 14. The system then crossed the Gulf and came onshore in mainland Mexico as a Category 3.

Texas was spared from a direct hit but there was significant tornado damage in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Over three hundred deaths, most of them in Mexico, resulted from Hurricane Gilbert.

9. Landfalling tropical systems are much less frequent in South Carolina than in other southeastern states, but in 1989, parts of the Charleston area were destroyed by a Category 4 storm that will long be remembered by residents in both of the Carolinas. What was the name of this deadly cyclone?

Answer: Hugo

Hurricane Hugo slammed into Charleston Harbor on September 22, destroying thousands of structures and killing thirty-five people before tracking northwest through the state and passing over Charlotte, NC a few hours later. Downed power lines and uprooted trees disrupted a city that is unaccustomed to visits by full tropical systems, and parts of the area were without utility service for weeks afterward.

Hugo was the US's costliest storm up to that date and remained so until Andrew's arrival in 1992.

10. In 1999, the largest evacuation in the US to that date took place in anticipation of Hurricane Floyd. Floyd made landfall near Wilmington, NC on September 16, causing billions of dollars in property damage and thirty-five deaths in North Carolina. Which aspect of the storm was responsible for most of the deaths?

Answer: Storm surge

Floyd dropped nearly two feet of rain in an area already soaked from Dennis, which had hit less than two weeks earlier. Days later, as rivers began cresting, much of eastern North Carolina was covered by waters that approached 1,000 year flood levels. In inland areas, road closures due to washout hindered rescue and disaster aid workers and delayed residents who were trying to return home after evacuating.

Despite Floyd's relatively low Saffir Simpson rating (Category 2), every county in the eastern part of the state was affected. In some areas, cleanup took years and many of the damaged homes and businesses were simply demolished without plans to rebuild.

Source: Author Coonielady

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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The Eye of the Storm Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz about ten landfalling Atlantic hurricanes that occurred between 1950 and 2005.

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